Improvement in tobacco-cutting machines



L F.KELLEY.

Tobacco Cutting-Machines.

' No.147,562. PateritedFeb.17.,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEFIGE;

JOHN F. KELLEY, or PARROTTSVILLE, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOBACCO-CUTTING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,562, dated February 17, 1874; application filed December 24, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. KELLEY, of Parrottsville, in the county of Cooke and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Cutting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to furnish a cheap and convenient tobacco-cutter, whereby the cakes of tobacco can be cut accurately into exact pieces of any desired length. It consists in the combination, with the knife, of a series of plates, graduated scales, grooves or channels, and gages, all of which will be more fully described hereafter.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view, and Fig. 2 a view, of one of the sliding gages.

A is a T-shaped base, made of any suitable material and desired dimensions, and is slotted to permit the descent of the cutter-blade. B is a lever, hinged to the base at G, to which is secured, and by which is operated, the cutter-blade D. The blade D is constructed with a sloping edge, the wider end being nearer the hinged end of the lever. This construction of the blade grcatlyfacilitates the cutting of the tobacco, by reason of the smallness of the portion of the cake brought under the action of the edge at any one time. E is a guideplate, secured to the base, and provided with the slot a, through which the cutter-blade passes into the slot in the base. It is also provided with the vertical guide b, against which the lever B bears, and which causes the perpendicular descent of the blade into the slot a. F are a series of narrow plates or strips, of any desired length, arranged at right angles to the plate E, and extending outward, and are secured to the stem G of the base. They are arranged relatively to each other, so as to form the grooves 0. Their inner edges (1 (1 are rounded or beveled, and the alternate plates are provided with the scales 00, which are graduated into inches and fractional parts of an inch, measuring from the slot a. H are sliding gages, moving in the grooves 0. They are composed of the slide f and the hinged gage-plate g. The slide f is groovec'l on its sides at d, which grooves correspond with and accurately fit the beveled edges (1 on which they move. The gage-plate g is hinged to the slide f, so that it can be raised to a perpendicular to, or laid flat on, said slide, as may be desired. The gages can readily be moved outward or inward'along the grooves, and set at any desired distance from the slot a.

To suit the varied wants of customers, tobacco dealers find it necessary to cut the cakes of tobacco into different lengths, according to the value of the amount called for. By havin g several sliding gages, each difi'erent price can be indicated by a difierent gage. When a given quantity of tobacco is called for, the gage plate indicating that amount is raised, the cake passed under the blade till the end touches said gage-plate, when it is severed by pressing on the lever. The quantity of tobacco can thus be measured accurately, and no loss will be incurred by either purchaser or seller, as is often the case when the quantity must be guessed at.

The gage-plates are kept lying flat on the slides, except when used in measuring the tobacco. They are thus protected from injury, and liability to get out of order. When any further gage is used, those nearer the knife offer no obstruction to the passing of the cake to the farther one.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

In-a tobacco-cutting machine, the combination, with the knife D, of the plates F, channels c, gages H, and-alternate scales 0 6, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of December, 1873.

JOHN F. KELLEY.

Witnesses:

G. W. GOREELL, J G. WINNIFQED. 

